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On Christian Doctrine (A Treatise on Scripture Interpretation Rules)

by: St. Augustine

Publication date: 2009-01-13
Usage: Public Domain
Topics: Audiobook - nonfiction, Religion, Bible
Item Size: 940.0M

St. Augustine of Hippo, the famous Christian convert and bishop, teaches basic rules of scripture interpretation, teaching, and preaching. He also advocates free sharing and distribution of information as a multiplier of wealth and stimulus to learning; discusses semantics and linguistics; and does a whole bunch of theologizing. Fun stuff!

Notes

Complete.

For a podcast of more public domain audiobooks, please visit marialectrix.wordpress.com.

Addeddate: 2009-01-14 02:48:26
Comment: tracey - this item may have been damaged on 2009-04-28 when 2 catalogd main processes ran simultaneously and is checking item
External_metadata_update: 2019-03-31T07:25:58Z
Identifier: AugustineInterp
Run time: 8 hrs. 44 min.
Source: Tr. by James Shaw, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers.
Taped by: Maureen S. O'Brien
Year: 2009

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13.8M

Preface

19.8M

Chs. 1-11, Bk. 1: Interpretation of Scripture depends on discovery and enunciation of meaning and should be undertaken in dependence on God. Definition of things and signs. Some things for use and some for enjoyment. Differences between use and enjoyment. The Trinity the true source of enjoyment. How God ineffable. What men mean by God. Unchangeable Wisdom. Unchangeable better than changeable. Soul must be purified to see God. The Incarnation of Wisdom is a pattern to us of purification.

17.2M

Chs 12-22, Bk. 1: How the Wisdom of God came to us and healed us. The Word became flesh and the linguistics connotations of that. Hope buttressed by the Resurrection and Ascension. The Church healed and exercised by Christ as His Body. Bodily and spiritual death and resurrection. God alone to be enjoyed.

14.5M

Chs. 23-28, Bk. 1: Man needs no injunction to love himself and his own body. No man hates his own flesh, not even those who abuse it. A man may love something more than his body, but does not therefore hate his body. The commandment to love God and our neighbor includes a commandment to love ourselves. The order of love. How we are to decide whom to aid.

17.6M

Chs. 29-34, Bk. 1: We are to desire and endeavor that all men love God. Are angels to be counted our neighbors. God uses rather than enjoys us. In what way God uses us. In what way Man should be enjoyed. Christ the first way to God.

11.9M

Chs. 35-40, Bk. 1: The fulfillment and purpose of scripture is the love of God and our neighbor. Interpretation of Scripture which builds us up in love is not perniciously deceptive nor mendacious, even though it be faulty. The interpreter, however, should be corrected. Dangers of mistaken interpretation. Love never fails. He who is mature in faith, hope, and love needs Scripture no longer. What manner of reader Scripture demands.

8.4M

Chs. 1-5, Bk. 2: Signs, their nature and variety. Of the kinds of signs we are now concerned with. Words hold the chief place among signs. Origin of writing. Scripture translated into various languages.

17.9M

Chs. 6-8, Bk. 2: Use of the obscurities that arise in Scripture from its figurative language. Seven steps to wisdom. The Canonical books.

16.9M

Chs. 9-13, Bk. 2: How to Study Scripture. Unknown or ambiguous signs. Knowledge of Greek and Hebrew useful. Diverse translations can be useful. Faulty translations must be corrected.

20.2M

Chs. 14-18, Bk. 2: How to discover the meaning of unknown words. Septuagint and Itala translations of the Bible preferred. Knowledge of languages and things useful. Origin of Muse legend. Help even from non-Christian sources should not be despised.

17.6M

Chs. 19-24, Bk. 2: 2 kinds of heathen knowledge. Superstitious human institutions. Superstition of astrology. Folly of observing stars to predict lives. Why we repudiate divination. Demons and superstitious observances.

16.0M

Chs. 25-30, Bk. 2: In non-superstitious human institutions some things are superfluous and some necessary. Human contrivances to adopt and avoid. Some kinds of human knowledge aid in interpreting scripture and are not merely human institutions. History as an aid. Natural science as an aid. The mechanical arts as an aid.

18.5M

Chs. 31-38, Bk. 2: Use of dialectics and of fallacies. Valid logical sequence not devised but only observed by man. False inferences may be drawn from valid reasonings and vice versa. One thing to know the truth of inferences and another to know the truth of opinions. The science of definitions not false though sometimes used for falsities. Rules of eloquence not false though sometimes used to persuade men falsely. Use of rhetoric and dialectic. The science of numbers not devised but discovered by man.

13.4M

Chs. 39-42, Bk. 2: To which attention should be given and in what spirit. Whatever has been rightly said by the heathen we must appropriate. What kind of spirit required for study of Scripture. Sacred scripture compared with secular authors.

15.6M

Chs. 1-4: Summary of Preceding Books and Scope of What Follows. Removing Ambiguity of Punctuation. Removing Ambiguity with Pronunciation and Two Kinds of Question. How Ambiguities May Be Solved.

11.1M

Ch. 5-9: It is a wretched slavery which takes the figurative expressions of Scripture in a literal sense. The useful bondage of the Jews. The useless bondage of the Gentiles. Jews liberated from bondage to signs in one way and Gentiles in another. Who is in bondage to signs and who is not.

15.5M

Chs. 10-15: How we are to discern whether a phrase is figurative. Rule for interpreting phrases which seem to ascribe severity to God and the saints. Rule for interpreting those sayings and actions which are to be ascribed to God and the saints, and which yet seem to the unskillful to be wicked. Same subject continued. Rule for interpreting figurative expressions.

17.3M

Chs. 16-23: Rule for interpreting commands and prohibitions. Some commands given to all in common, others to particular classes. We must take into account the time when anything was enjoyed or allowed. Wicked men judge others by themselves. Consistency of good men in all outward circumstances. David not lustful though he fell into adultery. Rule regarding passages of Scripture in which approval is expressed of actions now condemned by good men. Rule regarding the narrative of sins of great men.

13.4M

Chs. 24-29: The character of the expressions used is to have weight above all. The same word does not always signify the same thing. Obscure passages are to be interpreted by those which are clearer. One passage is susceptible of several interpretations. It is safer to explain a doubtful passage by other passages of Scripture than by reason. The knowledge of tropes is necessary.

20.9M

Chs. 30-34: The Rules of Tichonius the Donatist Examined. First Rule. Second Rule. Third Rule. Fourth Rule.

15.1M

Chs. 35-37: The Fifth Rule of Tichonius. The Sixth Rule of Tichonius. The Seventh Rule of Tichonius.

10.4M

Chs 1-4: This work not intended to teach rhetoric. It is lawful for a Christian teacher to use rhetoric. Proper means and age to learn rhetorical skill. The duty of the Christian teacher.

33.5M

Chs. 5-8: Wisdom more important than eloquence to the Christian teacher. The sacred writers unite wisdom with eloquence. Examples of true eloquence from Paul and Amos. The obscurity of sacred writers not to be imitated by Christian teachers.

27.9M

Chs. 9-16: How and with whom difficult passages are to be discussed. The necessity of perspicuity of style. Speak clearly but not inelegantly. The aim of the orator according to Cicero. The hearer must be moved as well as instructed. Beauty of diction to be in keeping with the matter. Pray before preaching. Human directions not to be despised though God makes the true teacher.

10.7M

Chs. 17-19: Threefold division of the various kinds of speech. The Christian orator is constantly dealing with great matters. The Christian teacher must use different styles on different occasions.

18.2M

Ch. 20: Examples drawn from Scripture of the various styles.

17.3M

Ch. 21: Examples of the various styles, drawn from the doctors of the Church.

17.1M

Chs. 22-26: The necessity of variety in style. How the various styles should be mingled. The effects produced by the majestic style. How the temperate style is to be used. In every style the orator should aim at perspicuity and beauty and persuasiveness.

14.0M

Chs. 27-31: The man whose life is in harmony with his teaching will teach with greater effect. Truth is more important than expression and what is meant by strife about words. A preacher may deliver to the people what has been written by a more eloquent man. A preacher should commence his discourse with prayer to God. Apology for the length of the work.

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Uploaded by Maureen S. O'Brien on January 14, 2009

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